Machine for overstitching the edges of fabrics



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. M. MERROW.

MACHINE FOR OVERSTITGHING THE BDGES 0F FABRICS.

Patented Dec. 18,. 1888.,

'NVENT-El N. PsTznsimwmm m, win-man. n. c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. M. MERROW.

MACHINE FOR OVERSTITOHING THE EDGBS 0F FABRICS.

No. 894,782. Patented Dec. 18, 1888..

ITNESSESZ NVENTUFQ C, Cu oa'ungg- WW @254 W.

(No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 3..

J. M. MERROW.

MAGHINE FOR OVERSTITOHING THB' EDGES 0F FABRICS. No. 394,782. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

WITNESSES: fl NVENTEI v GE .GLOQMM% v/ z @MMW j/ W 8 N. wn'cas. Phoio-Uthographcr. Walkingion. n. c.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

J; M. MERROW. MACHINE FOR OVERSTITGHING THE EDGES OF FABRICS.

8 No. 394,782. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OE icE.

JOSEPH M. MERROV, OF MERROW, CONNECTIFUT.

MACHINE FOR OVERSTITCHING THE EDGES OF FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,782, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed'tlauuary 18, 1886. Serial No. 188,912. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. MERROW, of Merrow, in the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful ln'lprovements in Machines for Crocheting or Over-stitching the Edges of Fabrics, of which the following is a speeification.

My invention relates to machines for crocheting, overstitching, or finishing the edges of cuffs, tops of stockings, or like knit or other fabrics, the object of my invention being to simplify the construction of such machines and render their operation certain and effective at all points, and to secure new and improved results.

To the foregoing ends my invention consists in the improved machine hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved machine, a portion of the casing above the bed being removed to show the parts therein. Fig. 1, Sheet 2, represents a sectional detail view hereinafter referred to. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical. sectional view of a port-ion of the machine, showing the feeding mechanism and parts inunediately connected therewith. Fig. 4 is a side view of the croeheting-hook and loopenbar, and mechanism for operating the same in a longitudinal and lateral direction, parts being represented as in section. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line .1 00 of Fig. 4L. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the presser-foot and work and thread guides. Figs. 7, S, f), and 10 are detached views of the same parts represented in Fig. 6, but showing said parts in different positions. Fig. 11 is a view of the eccentric-rod for operating the needle-bar and imparting the requisite vertical movements to the looperbar and its attached croeheting-hooks. Figs. 12, 13, It, and 15 are views of the needle and crocheting-hook and parts immediately associated therewith, showing the various relations of the thread to the parts and the operation of forming the loops or stitches. Fig. 16 is a perspective detail, partlyin section, showing the manner in which the guide for uncurling the edge of the fabric operates to secure the function ascribed to it.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents the frame,

which may be of any suitable form and composed of any material calculated to support the working parts of the machine.

B is the bed of the machine, constituting also the work-plate. Journaled in pendent extensions C of the bed is the main driving-shaft D, on one end of which is a pulley, E, to which motion may be given from any prime motor, but which in the present i11- stance is operated by special mechanism peculiarly adapted to this class of machines, as will be hereinafter explained.

F represents the casing inclosing the greater portions of the mechanism above the bed B.

G is the needle-operating arm; H, the needle-bar; I, the eccentric by which the needleoperating arm G is given its proper movement; J, the rod connecting eccentric I with arm G.

K is the presser-foot bar, and L the presserfoot.

M represents the cam or cam-cylinder by which the devices immediately connected with the forming of the stitch are. operated.

N is the looper-bar.

O is a tubular sleeve or guide, which imparts to said looper-bar the necessary vertical or rising and falling movements; P, the bellcrank or elbow lever .for giving to the looper its longitudinal or to and fro movements, and Q, the arm for imparting to the looper the requisite lateral or sidewise motions.

R is the feed-dog, formed on or secured to the feed-operating lever S.

T represents a cam secured to the drivingshaft D, by which the upward and forward movements are given to the feed-dog through the lever S.

U represents a spring by which the lever S and feed-dog are moved rearwardly, the downward movement of the dog being effected by its gravity, the pressure thereon of presserfoot L, and also by the action of the spiral spring U.

V represents the tension device for the main thread; XV, the guide on the presser-foot for the supplemental thread; X, the friction-put ley for imparting motion to driving-pulley E; Y, the swinging or pivoted frame, in which said pulley X is journaled or fitted to turn; and Z, the treadle, aiiixed to the floor or elsewhere, by which the pulley X is so operated as to be brought into the desired degree of frictional contact with pulley E.

The general description hereinbefore given is that of the principal parts of a crochetingmachine as organized and improved by me, the whole co-operating in the achievement of the result aimed at.

I will now proceed to set forth the details of my invention, pointing out the construction and relationship of the parts or groups of parts, beginning at the source of movement of the various groups of 1)arts,where they have movement or motion, and subsequently tracing out the functions of such parts and combinations of parts, showing the manner in which they cooperate and how the whole is constituted or constructed to form a single invention.

On the driving-shaft l), at one side of the cam-cylinder M and formed integral therewith, is the eccentric I, which in the operation of the machine imparts vertical motion to eccentric-rod J, pivoted at its upper end to needle-arm G, about midway of the length thereof. Said arm is pivoted at its rear end to the casing F and at its forward end is connected to the needle-bar to impart vertical motion thereto in a way common in sewingmaehines, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

A vertical rod or spindle, 0, is supported at its upper end in the casing of the machine, and at its lower end it rests upon and is supported by a bracket or ear, 0 projecting from the lower side of the bed-plate and forming a stop to limit the downward movement of the sleeve. Said rod 0 pas es through the sleeve 0, which latter part is provided with a rightangular sleeve, 0 through which the loopew bar N passes, and by which it is supported. A pinch-collar, o, is secured to the sleeve 0 at its upper end, and a like adjustable collar, 0, is secured to said sleeve near its lower end just-above its right-angular part 0*. A loose --e'ollar, 0 flanged at its upper end, is placed upon the sleeve 0 below the pinch-collar 0 and interposed between said loose collar and pinch-collar and surrounding the sleeve is a spiral spring, 0 having its opposite ends bearing against said last-mentioned collars. It is obvious that collar 0 may be dispensed with and spring 0 allowed to rest on the horizontal portion of the sleeve.

Needle-arm G is forked near its center, as represqnted in Fig. 1, so as to straddle the rod or spindle o and sleeve 0, and at this point each fork. of said arm is provided with an enlargement, as represented at g, which enlargements fit quite snugly between pinchcollar 0' and loose collar 0. A stud or projection, g, formed on the front side of the enlargement of the needle-arm, projects out-ward therefrom, and to this stud the upper end By of eccentric-arm J is pivoted, as shown.

the means described as the needle-arm is oscillated sleeve 0 and looper-bar N will be raised and lowered, as willv be readily understood.

Cam-cylinder M is provided at one of its sides or ends with a cam-groove, on, into which a stud, n1 projecting from the horizontal arm of elbow-lever P, extends. The upper end of the perpendicular arm of said lever is formed as a pin, p', and extends through a horizontal slot or loop, a, formed on or secured to the rear end of looper-bar N. One end of said loop a extends through a slot in an arm, 71 secured to the rear end of the horizontal part 0 of sleeve 0. Groove m in cam-cylinder M is such that when said cylinder rotated elbow-lever P will be rocked on its fulcrum or pivot p and thus move looper-bar N to and fro in the lun'izontal part of sleeve 0, said bar being held from turning in its support by the end Of loop a operating in the slot of arm n secured to the horizontal portion of the sleeve.

Cam-cylinder M has an irregular groove, on, formed on its periphery, into which a stud, m, projecting downwardly from the rear end, or", of a short lever, Q, is adapted to operate. Said lever Q is pivoted or fulcrumed at about the center of its length on a stud, m, secured to an adjustable piece, m secured to the under side of the bed l as seen in, Fig.2. The forward end of said lever Q has a slot, n1 formed therein, into which a pin, 0 depending from the forward end of the horizontal part 0 of sleeve 0, extends. By the means just pointed out as cam-cylinder M is rotated lever Q is oscillated on its pivot or fulcrum and imparts an oscillating motion to the horizontal part 0 of the sleeve 0, and the same movement consequenil y to looper-bar N.

13y providing the horizontal part 0 of sleeve 0 with the pin or projection 0 and operatin on. said projection to move said sleeve later ally in order to impart the necessary lateral movements to the lo( per-bar,l am enabled to operate said looper-bar and looper with great steadiness and certainty and with much less wear on all of the parts than it the forward end of lever Q were extemled upward and made to engage the looper-bar directly.

Presser l'oot L is adj ustably secured to presser-bar K, as shown, and is borne down upon the needle-plate or work-plate by a spring, in, the usual well-known way, and in addition to the supplenumial thread-guide W, secured. to its forward upturned end, said presser-foot is provided with a downwardlyprojecting knocking-over lip, l, at its outer side near its heel, for the purpose of preventing the fabric from being drawn toward the looper, and to insure the knocking over or formation of the loops.

The presser-foot L is made open from the needle at the side ad j aeent to the edge of the fabric to allow the needle-threzul to be drawn to the edge of said fabric by the crochet-hoolc or looper.

When the fabric is fed along, that portion of the needlethread between the said fabric and the eye of the needle, when the latter is carried above the fabric, would also be carried along and would be liable to be carried beyond and outside of the path of the crochethook if some means were not provided to prevent such action.

To overcome the above-mentioned difficulty, I arrange a stop or shoulder above the fabric adjacent to the path traversed by the needle and in a position to engage the needle-thread and prevent it from being carried out of its proper course when the fabric is fed along as well as at other times. This step may be conveniently located on the presser-foot, as indicated at Z.

By means of the aforesaid shoulder or stop Z the needle-thread is held in substantially the saine position whether or not the fabricis under the presser-foot; consequently a chain of loops may be formed arourd the finger I in the absence of the fabric.

By applying the knocking-over lip Z and supplemental thread-guide \V to the presser-foot I am enabled to operate the looper above, in front of, and below said lipZ and maintain the thread-guide \V at all times in proper position or relationship to the looper and other parts of the loop-forming mechanism.

Z represents a guide consisting of an upright and horizontal part, and having its inner edge formed for the most part to correspond in shape to the outer or working edge of presser-foot L. The forward end of guide Z is provided with a horn, P, in order to protect the crochet-hook from becomii'ig en tangled with the edge of the work, and to guide and protect the edge of the latter. By extending said horn close to the knockingover lip Z of the presser-foot, or thereumler, leaving a bare passage therebetween for the threads, the loops may be formed thereover by the erocheting-hook and be drawn off the horn the work is fed forward. By the construetion shown the loops are formed only over finger i on the work-plate.

Z is a supplemental work-guide, formed of a substantially triangular piece of sheet metal, having its point 1' extending forward under guide Z and its rear edge, 1", rolled out wardly.

3y the means just pointed out the fabric to be crocheted may be fed to the needle and looper under the presserfoot and the horizontal part I of the guide Z, the edge thereof being properly guided by the vertical part I of said guide, while the rolling part of supplemental guide Z serves to turn the edge of the goods out into proper position in case it should curl inward or under the body portion, as the edge of knitgoods, particularly, has a tendency to dothat is, said guide operates on a principle the reverse of that of a hemmer or similar device in a sewing-machine viz., to unroll or unfold a rolled-up or folded edge instead of folding a straight or smooth edge.

By the construction shown and described the work is protected on all sides from its edge to the point at which the needle passes the binding-yarn therethrough on the top by the horizontal part Z and horn Z of guide Z, on its edge by the vertical part Z of said guide, and underneath by finger I on the work-plate.

Looper it, formed on the forward end of looper-bar N, is curved inward toward the needle and is formed at its forward end with a hook and latch made after the manner of what is known as a latch-needle in knitting-machines.

It is, as has been stated, desirable at times in crocheting the edge of a fabric to run the machine very slowly and at other times more rapidly and stop and start at particular times when both hands of the operator are required to insure a proper guiding of the work, and to meet this necessity I pivot a two-part pulley, X, between the bell-crank levers, constituting a frame, r, pivoted at 1 to depending ears or projections y secured to the bed I3 or other suitable part of the machine. Said pulley is pivoted to the lower ends of the vertical arms of said lever, and to the outer end of the horizontal arm is attached one end of a 'rod or wire, ,e",the other end of which is secured to the outer end of the treadle Z. One part of the pulley X is provided on its pcriphery with a lagging of leather or other suitable material, which part of said pulley is adapted to be brought into contact with the periphery of pulley E when the treadle Z is depressed by the foot of the operator, as will be understood without further explanation. The other part of said pulley X is adapted to receive a belt driven by a pulley located at any convenient point. Thus the stopping and starting of the machine and the speed at which it is operated can be regulated and controlled to a nicety.

The operation of my invention may now be described in connection with the diagrammatic Figs. 12, 13, 11-, and 15. It being presumed that the fabric to be crocheted, overstitched, or bound on its edge has been passed under the guide I and presser-foot L to the needle, the edge thereof will have been kept from curling by guides I and be in prop erly smooth condition against the perpendic ular part of guide I, and. as the first or incipient stitch must necessarily be somewhat incomplete aud inuierfect it will be presumed that such stitch has been taken and that there are loops or stitches formed on the looper to permit it to form complete or perfect loops or stitches in the first operation described. In starting the work the supplemental thread is passed through the guide \V and extends downward and rearward in the path of travel of the looper, in which position upon the operation of the machine the first or incipient; stitch above mentioned will be taken. The looper n being just above the upper surface of the presser-ii'oot and the point of the needle at about the same height and all of the parts properly threaded, as represented in 'l ig. 12, the machine may be started by depressing with the foot of the operator the treadle Z, which will bring liriction-pulley X into contact with pulley lfl. The looper is now carried forward by elbowlever P, operated by cam-groove m in cam-cylinder M, and inward lz'iterally by the operation of cam-groove m on pivoted lever Q, the latch passing entirely through the loops on the .looper, and the several parts immediately connected with the needle assuming the position represented in Fig. 13, the hook of the looper czjttching the threads held by the needle and supplemental threadguide \V and drawing 'them back through the loops carriedby the looper, which o 'ieration is permitted by the swinging of the latch down onto the hook, so that the loops can pass over the latter and onto the finger Z on the work-plate. As the work is fed forward, the loops thus formed around the finger slip or are shed off the finger upon the work and form the binding or finishing touches thereon. Lip or projection Z on prcsser-foot L serves as a knocking-over bit to the looper, and the form of the slot between the guide Z and presser-foot L serves to properly guide the threads or yarn drawn back by the looper into the proper position. The looper now descends with the needle, being carried down by the pin in the upper end of eccentric-rod .T, operating between pinch-collar 0 and collar 0, until the lower end of sleeve-guide 0 reaches the horizontal. part of the ear 0*, when the further downward movement of the looper-bar will be arrested, though the needle and needle-arm with the eccentricrod and its operating-pin continue to descend, spiral spring o and loose collar o permitting of this operation, as hereinafter more fully explained. The looper is now carried forward and inwardly, as before, but not to the same extent, and as in this movement; the latch on the looper is not carried. through the loops thereon, as in the 'l'orward movement of thelooper above the work-plate, the hook of the looper is brought into proper position to catch the yarn carried down through the work by the needle, and, retreatin ormoving rearwardly, carries the latter loop, together with the two loops already formed thereon, rearwardly, outwardly, and upward to the point at which the looper was supposed to be at the beginning of the description of its first operations, there being new three loops in the hook of the looper-viz., the two which it took from above the work-plate (one from the needle and the other from the su 'iplemental yarn-guide) and the one taken from the needle below. The looper now advances, and, movinginward laterally, passin its latch through the said three loops, again catches the yarn from the needle and supplemental yarn-guide, and, retreating and moving outwardly, as before described, draws the two loops thus formed through the aforesaid three loops back of the latch.

By a repetition of the operation just described the fabric will be eit'ectually and handsomcly bound at the edge and the supplemental thread from the thread guide \V wholly looped along the edge of the fabric, which, with the loops formed from the needlethread, forms a close binding, so that loops or threads in the faln-ic are not liable to be seen or 1:0 curl up through the bin ding-work.

It is not essential that a supplemental thread, as that guided by supplemental thread-guide W, should be employed, and when such supplemental thread is dispensed with a row of loops from a single thread only will be formed on the edge of the work.

I provide the rest in the downward movement of the loopcr, hereinbefore mentioned, to permit the needle to descend to its utmost limit and rise a short distance to form a loop in the thread at the side thereof, which it does in a way well known to those skilled in the art, whereby the looper is afforded a better opportunity to catch said loop at the proper time and point. Upper ranch-collar, o, is made adjustable on sleeve 0, so that the extent of the upward throw or movement of the looper can be adjusted to suit work of varying thickness or character.

By mounting the drivin g-shaf t substantially in the center of the machine and forming eccentric I integral with cam-cylinder M, I am enabled to operate all of themoving parts directly from said shaft, render the construction of the machine very compact and simple, and at the same time secure a perfect timing of the parts.

I do not herein claim the improvement in the art of croeheting herein shown and described, the same having been made the subject of another application filed December 2, 1887, Serial No. 256,761; nor do I herein claim the friction driving mechanism herein shown, which has been made the subject of still another application lilcd January 30, 1888, Serial No. 262,358.

\Yhat I claim is 1. The combination, with the frame and driving-shaft of the machine, of the needle arm pivoted to the frame, a rod pivoted by one end to said arm near the longitudinal center thereof, an eccentric on the driving-shaft to which the other end of said rod is opera tively connected, the looper-bar and its sleeve adapted to be raised and lowered in the machine, and mechanism, substantially as described, connecting said needle-arm with the looper-bar and its sleeve, whereby both are operated vertically, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the needle-arm and means for operating it, of the movable looper-bar and its horizontal guide-sleeve O and vertical guidesleeve O, the needle-arm being loosely connected with the vertical guide-sleeve, and a spring surrounding the IIO vertical guide-sleeve between the needle-arm and horizontal guide-sleeve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the needle-arm and means'for operating it, of the looper-bar and its sleeve, the latter consisting of a vertical and horizontal portion, a collar secured to the upper end of the vertical portion of said sleeve, a spring below said collar, a loose collar interposed between said spring and first-mentioned collar, said needle-arm embracing said sleeve between said collars, and a stop to limit the downward movement of said sleeve, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the looper-bar and its sleeve, consisting of the vertical and horizontal portions, and means for operating the same vertically, of the driving-shaft, a cam-grooved cylinder mounted thereon, an elbow-lever having one of its arms operatively connected with said cylinder, the end of the other arm of said lever extending through a loop secured to the rear end of the looperbar, and a slot-ted arm secured to the rear end of the horizontal. portion of the sleeve, one end of said loop extending through the slot of said arm, as set forth.

5. The combination, with the frame and driving-shaft of the machine, of the needlearm pivoted to the frame, rod .l, a looper-bar and its guide-sleeves, an eccentric, I, for operating said rod, a cam, M, and a lever connecting said cam with said guide-sleeves, whereby the latter and the looper-bar are vibrated, said cam and eccentric being integrally connected, whereby their proper relationship and uniform operation are rendered absolutely certain, as set forth.

6. The combination, with the frame, of the looper-bar and its guide-sleeve, the latter pivoted to the frame and provided with the pin or projection 0 as set forth.

7. The reciprocating needle, the work-plate and looper, and means for reciprocating the said looper alternately above and below the fabric, in combination with a finger around which loops are carried by the looper, and a stationary thread-guide located above the said fabric and in proximity with the said needle to guide a supplemental thread and hold the same in position to be grasped with the needle-thread by the looper, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the work-plate, the needle, and feed mechanism, of a reciprocating looper and a presser-foot provided with a downwardly-projecting knocking-over lip, Z, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the needle and looper and means for operating the same, of the presser-foot provided with the supplemental thread-guide and a downwardlypro jecting knocking-over lip, l, as set forth.

10. The combination, with the needle and looper and means for operating the same, of guide Z having vertical and horizontal portions, as described, and provided with a horn, Z as set forth.

11. The reciprc eating needle,a finger around which loops may be for1ned,a looper,and means for reciprocating said looper alternately above and below the said finger, in combination with a stop located above the fabric, said stop engaging and acting to retain the needle-thread in position to be grasped by the looper above said fabric, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, with the work plate or bed, of a reciprocating needle, a looper, means for reciprocating said looper alternately above and below the fabric, a stop to limit the downward movement of said looper, and means for adjusting the upward throw of said looper, substantially as shown and described.

13. The combination, with the needle and looper and means for operating the same, of the presser-foot having its edge on the side adjacent to the needle cut away, the guide Z, having its edge adjacent to the presser-foot of a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the latter, and finger l, as set forth.

let. The combination, with the bed, the needle, and vibrating looper, of pivoted lever Q, for vibrating said looper, and support m upon which said lever is pivoted, said support being adjustable on the machine-bed, whereby the looper may be adjusted laterally with respect to the needle, as set forth.

15. In a machine substantially such as described, and in combination with the workplate and reciprocating needle, a looper, and mechanism for reciprocatingsaid looper alternately above and below the material, a finger or plate around which loops may be formed by the looper, and a presser-foot provided with a shoulder or lateral extension projecting across the line of feed and beyond the needle to engage the needle-thread and hold said needlethread in position to be caught by the looper while the needle is withdrawn from the fabric, substantially as set forth.

16. In combination with the reciprocating needle and looper and means for reciprocating said looper alternately above and below the fabric to engage the needle-thread alternately on opposite sides of the fabric and to interloop said thread at or beyond the edge of said fabric, a supplemental thread-guide supported outside the path traversed by the looper, whereby the supplemental thread is held in position to be grasped by the looper while the latter is reciprocated between said guide and the material to draw loops also from the needle-thread on one side of the material.

17. In a crochet-machine, a reciprocating needle and looper and means for reciprocating said looper above and below the fabric, in combination with a work-plate,a finger around which loops may be formed by the looper, and a fabric-guide provided with a vertical wall 'or extension projecting along the edge of the fabric for the pnrposeofi guiding and protecting the edge of said fabric to a point near which the loops are formed snbstantially as set forth.

18. In a machine such as described, the combination of a reciprocating needle, a finger around which the thread may be drawn to form loops, a looper, and means for reeiproeating said looper alternately on opposite sides of the finger, with a thread-guide located on the needle side of the fabric to po sition the needle-thread when the needle is Withdrawn from the fabric and hold the same 

